The invention relates to a printed circuit board for use in the field of power electronics comprising a shaped part as well as to a method for the production thereof. The expression power electronics generally circumscribes the sub-area of electrical engineering concerning the conversion of electric energy using electronic components. In contrast, the term circuit or control electronics generally means the use of electric power for signal and data processing only.
A printed circuit board of this kind usually comprises etched strip conductors and/or line wires. The term printed circuit board within the meaning of this invention therefore refers to a printed circuit board or to a board that may comprise etched strip conductors and/or line wires.
Usually, strip conductors are manufactured by etching, i.e. portions located between the desired strip conductors are etched off from a copper foil attached onto a carrier plate. However, in printed circuit boards or boards on which wires are attached, line wires made of an electrically conductive material are laid between connection points arranged on the board of the electronic components to be attached to the board, and are cast into a block of insulating material for instance with the board in composite construction. A method of manufacturing such a wire-equipped printed circuit board or board is for instance known from DE 196 18 917 C1.
When using the printed circuit board in the field of power electronics, the wire cross-sections required for handling the occurring currents and heat flow volumes can only be realized with great effort by conventional methods. Thermal problems in the form of overheating often occur. The conventional printed circuit boards are therefore usually limited to predetermined power values.